Ball caster



Oct. 12, 1948. w, H NEWELL 2,451,353

BALL CASTER Filed March 10, 1945 llllllllll 1: T

.iNVENTOR H. Newelb ATTOR EY Patented Oct. 12, 1948 BALL CASTERi WilliamH. Nowell, New York;.N.. Y.,. assignor-to... Ford. Instrument Company,1110., Long Island I City, N. Y., a corporati'onof New York ApplicationMarch 10, 1945, Se'rial:Nio. 582,075

9 Claims. 1

Thisrinvention.relatesto ball casters and has for an .object toprovide acaster of the above: type :which is capable of rolling freely in alldirections.

Another .object of: the invention is to. provide a caster having noveland improved details of construction and features of operation.

Various. other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature ofthe invention is more fully; di'solosedr.

Although the novel; features which are believed: tobe characteristic ofthis invention are'pointed out. more: particularly in the. claimsappended. hereto; the-natureand'scope of the invention willbesbetterunderstoodby referring to'thev following description, .-taken inconnection With the accompanying gdnawings in which certain-specificembodiments thereof have been set forth for 'purposes of; illustration.

Inthe drawings.

Fig; 1 is a sideielevation; partlyin section,v of ace-step embodying thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is aside'elevation, partly in section, lookingin the. directionofwthe arrows Z-r-Lof Fig. 1';

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a caster illustrating afurther embodimentof=the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line l-r-4-of Fig,- 3.

Althoughcertain specificterms arerused herein-for convenience;inarefer-ri-ng to various def tails of the invention, it. is whounderstoodthat. theseterms 1 are. to be given an interpretationcommensurate withthe state of theart.

Referring to the drawings more in. detail; particularly to Figs. 1 and2, acaster embodying the present. invention; is shown as compr-isi-ngabrack-. et. lflattachedtothe bottomofa pedestal l l which the caster isadapted .to support. Theaxisof the bracket l is inclinedtothevertical. Abearing post l 2, extends. axially I of the .bracket- Ill and is securedthereto bya-pin, l3. Thepost l2 carries Therball, '20, is retained-:bya;bal1; supporting bracket which is provided with a hub 3 lcarry-.-

ing-outerballraces :32 which register with the -in ner. balL-raceslttoprovide ball bearingsnforrthe 5. the: center of the ball;

.bearing rollers aiwhich-bear. against the surface of the ball 20.- Thepoints. of contact of the rollers 35with thesurface of the ball who in.a

diametrical plane of theball which is inclined to the horizontal andisnormalto the axis. of the plate -36 having an aperture 31 of a size topermit the ball 201-to rotate freely, but to prevent the ball l0 bearingpost 12. The ends of-the'ar-ms '34 extend past said diametrical planeand carry retaining from dropping from-the caster when thepedestal curedto the arms 34 by screws 38-.-

In the operation of this caster it will be noted that the-weight of thepedestal ll is transferred is lifted. The retaining plate 36 isshown-asse through the bracket-Wand the bearing post; l2

to the ball 20.;

to the roller bracket l6, thence to the roller I 9 and If the pedestal Il is moved-to the right or left;

aseviewed in- Fig.- 1, the ball 20 will roll about a' horizontal axisextending through thepoints-of left :bearing rollers rotate with thball. roller l9.-likewise rotatewith the ball, therebyforming withthe'right andleft bearing rollers 35' so a roller bearing for the ball20. I

Ifthe pedestal H is moved to the'right or left as-viewed in Fig; 2,*theroller l S-remains stationary andthe ball'20 will roll about an axispassing through thepoint ofv contact of the roller [9 and totthe-axesof. ,thebearing rollers 35 the bearing Since this axis'is normal rollersremain stationary, in their respective arms 34 but the entire ballsupporting bracket 30 ro tates about the bearing post "l2 on the ballbear- .,ings above described, therebypermitting free rotation of theball 2"!) in the direction specified.

It is obviousqthatif-the pedestal. l l is moved-in.

an," intermediate 'direction'a combination'of the two abovedescribed'motionsWill-take place. The

4511135111 2%. is. thus iree-to roll'in any direction on the supportingsurface 2 I-.'.-

Referring .now to Figs;- 3 and: 4, a modification.

of theeabove construction; is shown in which; the

pedestal lilcarries a cylindrical housing-4 I- having atop flangelztwhi-ch is securedto the'pedestal;

by suitable means slmwnasscrews 43 andhaving at an. intermediateposition aball race-4,4 which formsabeari-ng sur-faceef-or balls. 45.Archer 46 is journalled in bosses 41 formed on the. housing- .4 Iandairanged-scthat the roller rotates about a horizontal axis. Theroller is bears against ball 58 and is positioned so that the planeextending through the center of the ball 55 and the point of contactwith the roller 46 is inclined to the vertical in the same manner as thebearing post l2 of Figs. 1 and 2.

In the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4, bearing 1 rollers 5| are mounted inears '52 on a ring 53 the ball 50 against displacement when the pedvestal 40 is lifted.

In this embodiment, if the pedestal '30 is moved to. the right or leftas viewed in Fig. 4, the ball 50 rotates about an axis extending throughthe points of contact with the front and rear bearing rollers 5!, whilethe right and left rollers 5i and the roller 45 rotate with the ball 59.If, on the other hand, the pedestal 40 is moved to the front or rear, asviewed in Fig. 4, the roller 45 remains stationary and the ball 56rotates about an axis I extending through the center of the ball and thepoint of contact of the roller $5 with the surface of the ball, therebycausin the ring 53 to rotate about a vertical axis. Any component of themovement of the surface of the ball 50 relative f to the bearing rollers5| causes rotation of the rollers 5| about their respective axes. It isthus evident that the ball 553 of Figs. 3 and 4, like the ball ZlloiFigs. 1 and 2, is free to roll in all directions when the pedestal 4c ismovedover its supportin surface.

the bearing rollers 35 and 53 are described as for the positions shown.It will be evident however that as the ball supporting bracket 36 orthering" 53 rotate from the positions in which they are to a pedestal, aball positioned to roll on a surface, a roller mounted on said supportto roll about a fixed horizontal axis and engaging said ball to carrythe weight of said pedestal, the roller being so positioned that theline passing through the center of the ball and the point of contact ofthe ball and roller is inclined to the vertical, and a set of bearingrollers disposed about said ball to contact the surface of said ball ina horizontal diametric plane thereof, said bearing rollers being mountedto rotate about axes in the said diametric plane and a carrier for saidbearing rollers mounted to rotate freely about an axis normal to saidplane.

3. A caster comprising a support to be attached to a pedestal, a ballpositioned to roll on a surface,

. a roller mounted on said support to roll about a 140 For convenienceof illustration the operation of shown the bearing rollers will partakeof comf ponents of rotation of the ball and permit free 1 rotation ofthe ball in any direction regardless of the angle to which bracket 30 orthe ring 53 may be turned. 7

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shownand described, it is to be understood that the invention is capable ofvarious uses and that changes and adaptationsmay be made therein as willbe apparent to a person skilled in the art. The invention is only to belimited in accordance with the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A caster comprising a support to be attached to apedestal, a ball positioned to roll on a surface,

a roller mounted on said support to roll about a fixed horizontal axisand engaging said ball to carry the weight of said pedestal, the rollerbeing metric plane thereof, said bearing rollers being mounted to rotateabout axes in the said diametric plane and a carrier for said bearingrollers mounted to rotate freely about an axis normal to said plane.

2. A caster comprising a support to be attached said plane.

horizontal axis and engaging said ball to carry the weight of saidpedestal, the roller being so positioned that the line passing throughthe center of the ball and the point of contact of the ball and rolleris inclined to the vertical, and a set of bearing rollers disposed aboutsaid ball to contact the surface of said ball in a diametric planethere'- of, which is normal to said line, said bearing rollers beingmounted to rotate about axes in the ball to carry the weight of saidpedestal, the

roller being so positioned that the line passing through the center ofthe ball and the'point of contact of the ball and roller is inclined tothe Vertical, and a set of bearing rollers disposed about said ball tocontact the surface of said ball in the same diametric plane thereof,saidbearing rollers beingmounted to rotate about axes in the saiddiametric plane and a carrier for said hear-'- ing rollers, and ballbearings supporting said carrier to rotate freely about an axis normalto 5. In combination, a ball, a support, a

surface thereof in a diametric plane which is disposed at a fixed angleto the line passing through the center of the ball and the point ofcontact of the ball with the said first roller, a carrier supportingsaid plurality of rollers for rotation about axes lying in said plane,and means mounting said carrier for rotation about an axis normal tosaid plane. a p

6. A caster comprising a support, a roller mounted for rotation about anaxis fixed relative to said support, a ball in contact with said roller,a plurality of rollers disposed to contact the surface of said ball in adiametric plane thereof, a

carrier supporting said plurality of rollers; for] rotation about axeslying in said plane, and means;

mounting said carrier for rotation about an axis normal to said plane. 77 7. A: caster comprising a support, a roller mounted for rotation aboutan axis fixed relative to said support, a ball in contact with saidroller,

a plurality of rollers disposed to contactthe sur-T' face of said ballina diametric plane thereof, a carrier'supporting said plurality ofrollers for 7 rotation about axes lying in said plane, and meansmounting said carrier for rotation about an-axis first roller mounted onsaid support to engage the-surface of said ball and to rotate about anaxis fixed relative to said support, a plurality of bearing rollersdisposed about said ball to, contact the normal to said plane andpassing through the center of said ball.

8. A caster comprising a support, a roller mounted for rotation about anaxis fixed relative to said support, a ball in contact with said rollerand having its center in the plane of rotation of said roller, a carriermounted for rotation about an axis fixed relative to said support andpassing through the center of said ball, and a plurality of rollers incontact with said ball and mounted on said carrier for rotation aboutaxes lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of saidcarrier.

9. A caster comprising a support, a roller mounted for rotation about anaxis fixed relative to said support, a ball in contact with said rollerand having its center in the plane of rotation of said roller, a carriermounted for rotation about an axis fixed relative to said support andpassing through the center of said ball, and a plurality of rollers incontact with said ball and mounted on said carrier for rotation aboutaxes lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of saidcarrier and containing the center of the ball.

WILLIAM H. NEWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

